Opinion polls indicate they will pick Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old ex-economy minister who wants to bridge the left-right divide, resisting an anti-establishment tide that has seen Britons vote to leave the EU and Americans choose Donald Trump as US president. But should an upset occur and National Front candidate Marine Le Pen win, the very future of the EU could be on the line. Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, has a 23-26 percentage point lead over Le Pen in the opinion polls. Even if opinion polls prove accurate and France elects its youngest president ever rather than its first female leader, Macron himself has said himself he expects no honeymoon period. The first poll on the parliamentary election, published this week, showed that was within reach for Macron.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 07, 2017 02:37 UTC